Patient Opinion Leaders: Andrew Schorr

As a cancer survivor and passionate patient advocate, Andrew Schorr typifies the concept of a Patient Opinion Leader (POL). He is a contributor to the pharmaphorum report, 'Patient Opinion Leaders: The new KOLs for pharma?' In this video he talks about how POLs are starting to have a tangible effect in healthcare via their tireless campaigning for better treatments, for higher standards of health literacy and for their fellow sufferers to raise their expectations about healthcare.

• What prompted you to found Patient Power?

• How powerful are patients becoming?

• How significant are patient opinion leaders?

• How can pharma engage with the patient movement?

• What is happening in Europe in terms of patient empowerment?

• Finally, what's your message to the pharma industry?

About the interviewee:

Andrew Schorr is a medical journalist who was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in 1996. Through his participation in a clinical trial, he has enjoyed a deep and lasting remission, which has enabled him to become a pioneer in providing authoritative medical information online for other people facing serious illness. In 2011 he was diagnosed with a second cancer, myelofibrosis. A new, oral medicine allows him to live a normal life. As a passionate patient-advocate, and with support from many leading medical centers, Andrew has hosted and helped produce several thousand webcasts and expert video interviews for patients who have cancer or one of a wide range of acute or chronic medical concerns. He has a long history in journalism with degrees from the University of North Carolina and Columbia University and has worked in television at the US national level since 1972. In 1992 Andrew developed 'Healthtalk' – a program of interactive talk shows for patients, which later became part of Waterfront Media's Everdayhealth.com. In 2005 he founded Patient Power LLC and the patientpower.info web site as the home base for independent audio and video programs for patients – which are seen around the world. Many of the USA's leading medical centers have supported Patient Power financially - or by donating medical experts' time for programs. In 2011 Andrew joined with like-minded patient advocates to form the non-profit organization: Patient Empowerment Network (PEN). In 2014 Andrew is launching patientpower.eu to help empower cancer and other patients throughout Europe. Andrew is also the author of The Web-Savvy Patient: An Insider's Guide to Navigating the Internet When Facing Medical Crisis, published in 2011.